Sound-emission device



- July 24, 1923." 1,463,008

M. DE CESARE SOUND EMISSION DEVICE Filed Sept. 20. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m mp 11? IIVI/ENTOR July 24, 1923.

Mb DE CESARE SOUND EMISSION DEVfQE- Filed Spt. 20.

1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a I A TTORIVEVZ' Patented July 24:, 1923.,

UNETEE STATES rarer orricaw MATTEO'QDE GESARE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE TOY DEVICES, INC.,

0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SOUND-EMISSION DEVICE.

Application filed September 20, 1922. Serial No. 589,290.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, MATTEO DE CEsARE, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sound-Emission Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of. the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in sound emitting devices for toys; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to an improved speaking device for talking dolls whereby the character of the emitted sound is automatically controlled, and at the same time a better articulation or syllabic accenting of such words as mamma is obtained.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a novel improved sound emitting or speaking device for dolls and similar toys in which an automatic or weight actuated bellows or air compression device having a sound producing reed arrangement is provided with a flap-valve sound controlling means, together with a very simple and novel means for automatically timing the actua tion of the latter, to the end that a life-like syllabic accenting of the emitted sound is attained; the devices and parts all being so combined as to reduce the number of moving parts to a minimum, and so as to otherwise simplify theentire structure to the end that there is little likelihood of the same becoming disarranged or inoperative in use.

Uther objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

With the various objects of this invention in view, the same consists, primarily, in the novel sound emitting device for toys hereinafter set forth; and the invention consists,

furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification, and then finally embodied in the claims appended thereto.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which F igure s a side elevation of the novel sound emitting device inverted to expand the bellows, and to thus make the device ready for operation; Figure 2 is a side elevatlon of the device in normal position, the bellows being in the course of collapsing to thereby force air through the sound producing reed, and the sound controlling flapvalve about to be tripped to produce the e aculation of the first syllable of the word mamma; and Figure 3 is a similar view showing the bellows further collapsed, and

the sound controlling flap-valve actuated to produce the final syllable of the word mamma.

Figure 4 is a top end or plan view, showmg the flap valve in operative tripped relation to the tripper abutment the bellows is collapsing; and Figure 5 is a similar view, showing the flap valve yielding laterally to the passing of the tripper abutment thereby as the bellows is expanded.

Figure 6 is a rear side elevation of the sound emitting device illustrating the hinge arrangement of the flap valve.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top end or plan v ew, on an enlarged scale, showing the hinge arrangement of the flap valve in horizontal section.

F igure 8 is a perspective detail of the flap valve; and Figure 9 is a perspective detail of the flap valve closing element.

Figure 10 is an inverted side elevation of a slightly modified construction of the novel sound emitting device.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to said drawings, the refer ence character 11 indicates a suitable base to which one end of a cylindrically shaped bellows member 12 is secured. This bellows member is made of a suitable flexible material which is impervious to air, such, e. g., as sheet rubber, oil-silk, etc. Fixed to said base 11, so as to extend longitudinally and centrally through the interior of said bellows is a guide-rod l3. Slidable on said guiderod 13 is a weight member 14 to which the opposite or free end of said bellows member is attached, and by which said opposite or free end of said bellows member is closed.

Suitably afiixed to said weight member 14, so as to project vertically therethrough in a proper location laterally oft-set relative to said central guide-rod 13, 1s a hollow sound-box 15, one end of which pro ects 1nto the interior of said bellows and the o posite end of, which projects exteriorly rom the outer side of said weight member 14. The interior end portion of said sound box is closed, but connected therewlth is a soundproducing device or reed-pipe 16, the sound discharging end of which is in commun1cation with the interior of said sound-box 15, while its free sounding end is exposed within the interior of said bellows so as to be actuated by the compression of air within the latter. The exterior end of said soundbox 15 is provided with an orifice or mouth 17, normally closed by means of a flap-valve 18. Said flap-valve is hingedly or pivotally connected with. said exterior end of said sound-box so as to swing up and down to open and close said orifice or mouth 17, while at the same time the pivotal connection of the same is of a character permitting a limited lateral play or side to side movement of the same when in closed position relative to the orifice or mouth 17. One form of pivotal connection or hinge mounting for said flap-valve, which is adapted to permit of the essential characteristic movements of the same above mentioned, is shown in Figures 1 to 7 inclusive, and comprises a collar member 19 suitably secured in encircling relation to the exterior end of said sound-box 15, said collar member having at its rear side a horizontally disposed lateral stationary hinge ear or tubular bearing 20, through which is passed a hinge pintle 21. Said flap-valve 18 is provided at its rear end with a pair of laterally spaced perforate hinge ears 22 adapted to straddle and normally aline themselves with said stationary hinge ear 20, so as to also loosely receive the hinge pintle 21, whereby said flap-valve is pivotally attached to the end of said soundbox so as to be capable of swinging upwardly away from the orifice or mouth 17 or downwardly into closed relation to the same, while at the same time a certain amount of play between the hinge ears and pintle is allowed for to permit a limited side to side movement or lateral play to the flap-valve when the same is in closed position. In order to yieldably hold the said flap-valve in a normal centrally alined extension from its hinge or pivotal connection, and at the same time provide a tension means for returning the same to normal closed position relative to said orifice or mouth 17, a tension means is provided in the form of a resilient endless band 23,

naeaoos which is preferably made of soft rubber, although it ma be made of spring wire also if desired. This resilient band 1s dis osed to extend over the fla -valve, thence dbwnwardly around the si es thereof forward of the hinge ears 22, and thence rearwardly around and beneath said stationary hinge ear 20.

Said flap-valve is provided at its free end, to extend outwardly at one side thereof, with a trip-projection or lug 24, the outer portion of its extremity being turned upwardly to provide a downwardly sloping or transversely obli ue cam portion 25. Also connected with t e free end of said flapvalve, at the opposite side thereof, is an arm 26 h zaving' a downwardly turned extremit 2 Fixed upon the exterior end of said guiderod 13 is a tripper abutment 28 extending laterally therefrom. The tripper abutment is so positioned relative to the flap-valve 18 that, when the weight member 14 moves vertically up and down upon said guide-rod 13, the said tripper abutment will lie in the path of movement of said trip-projection or lug 2 1 of said flap-valve so 'as to operatively engage the same in passing. A flexible connection or pull-cord 29 is interconnected between said tripper abutment and the extremity 27 of said arm 26 of the flap-valve 18. Said pull-cord 29 is of less len th than the distance traveled by said weig t member 14 when moving the bellows from expanded to contracted condition, so that before the bellows is fully contracted the said pull-cord will become taut and thereupon swing open the flap-valve 18 for purposes subsequently described.

Referring now to Figure 10 of the drawings, I have shown thereon a somewhat modified construction of the sound-box and flap-valve mountin In such modified arrangement, I provide the weight member 14 with an integral boss 14 projecting from its outer side, and said weight member and boss are hollowed at the inner side to provide a socket or chamber 14", and the orifice or mouth 17' is provided in the outer end wall of said boss. A sound-box 15' having the reed-pipe attachment 16 is engaged and secured in the inner open end of said socket or chamber 14". Soldered or otherwise secured to the rear side of said boss 14 is upwardly extending lug 30, the free end of which is formed to provide a hinge ear or tubular bearing. The flap-valve is constructed and hinged to the hinge ear in the same manner as above described, and its parts are denoted by the same reference letters above employed. An additional feature incorporated with the flap-valve, however, consists in afiixing to its under side a soft stop-member 31 to engage over the mouth or Orifice 17'. Said stop-member 31 may be naeaooe made of cork, rubber, felt, leather or some such suitable material, which, when the flapvalve is closed, tightly closes the mouth or orifice 17'.

The novel sound emission device, constructed as above described, is fixed to extend longitudinally within the interior body of a toy, such e. g. as a doll, usually with the weighted end of the bellows toward the head end of the doll. A tubular casing of paste-board or other material (not shown) is afiixed to the base 11 to surround the bellows and moving parts of the device to protect the same. To operate the device the doll is laid or held head down to incline from horizontal plane, so that the weight member 14 will slide upwardly or out wardly upon the guide-rod 13, to thus expand the bellows and fill the same with air, while at the same time setting the sound emission devices for operation. Thls having been done, the doll is raised to uprght position, whereupon the pull of grayity exerted upon the weight member 14, will cause the same to slide downwardly or nwardly upon the guide-rod 13,, thus collapsing the bellows to compress the air within the same, and thereby force the air to pass operatively in an outward direction through the reedpipe and sound-box. As the weight-memher 14 moves downward or inward upon the guide-rod the trip-projection or lug 24 of the flap-valve 10 is carried by the movement into passing engagement with the fixed tripper abutment 28 of the guide-rod.

Said trip-projection or lug 24 is yieldable to pressure in an upward or outward direction against the vertical tension of the resilient member 23, and consequently the flap-valve is temporarily opened and closed by said passing engagement of the tripprojection or lug 24 with the fixed tripper abutment 28, thus permitting the air to escape from the sound-box to 'produce an emission or ejaculation of sound of short duration during the initial stages of the collapse of the bellows, whereby, e. g, the syllable mam of the word mamma is produced. T his operation will be best understood from an inspection of Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings. After the fiap-valve is thus temporarily opened and closed, and before the complete collapse of the bellows, the continued downward or inward movement of the weight member 14 and associiated parts effects a taughtening of the pull-cord 29, whereby during the last stages of the collapse of the bellows, the flap-valve is pulled open to permit a further escape of air from the sound-box to produce an emission of sound of longer duration, whereby e. g. the syllable maa of the word mamma is produced. This operation will be best understood from an inspection of Figure 3 of the drawings. The short ejaculation of the syllable mam followed by the longer sounding of the syllable maa, efiects a very life-like syllabic accenting of the emitted sound which very closely simulates the sound off the spoken word mamma.

Since the flap-valve when in closed position will not yield to pressure in a downward or inward direction, I have provided a novel means whereb the tripper-abut ment'28 may pass the trip-projection or lug 24 when the device is reversed or inverted to move the weight-member outwardly on the guide-rod to again expand the bellows and re-set the device for a repetition of the sound emittin operations, which means operates as fo lows :-'lhe flap-valve being capable of a limited lateral play at its hinge connection, when the trip-projection or lug 2a is carried in outwardly passing engagement with the tripper abutment 28, its oblique cam portion 25 will contact with the tripper abutment whereby the flap-valve is caused to yield laterally against the horizontal tension of the resilient means 23- to thereby permit the trip-projection or lug 24 to side-step the tripper-abutment and then return to normal initial position ready to again operatively trip against the tripper abutment when the weight member again moves downward or inward on the guide rod. This operation will be best understood from an inspection of Figure 5 of the drawings.

From the above description it will be apparent that the device is adapted to provide a very simple sound emitting and controlling means, which is automatic in its action, which consists of comparatively few parts, and which is adapted to produce a life-like syllable accenting of the emitted sound.

I am awarev that some changes may be made in the various arrangements and combinations of the devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of this invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, and as defined in the appended claims. Hence, I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts as described in said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim 1. In a device or the hind described, a bellows having a movable member and a stationary means, a sound emission device having an outlet orifice carried by said movable member and actuated by compression of air in said bellows, a tension controlled pivoted flap-valve normally closing said outlet orifice, a tripper abutment on said stationary means by which said flap-valve is llll liild temporarily oened when moved past the e by the llows collapsing movement of said movable member, and a flexible pullcord between said flap-valve and said stationary means where y said flap-valve is held opened for a comparatively long period rior to the completion of the bellows colapsing movement of said movable member.

2. In a device of the kind described, a bellows having a movable member and a stationary means, a sound emimion device having an outlet orifice carried by said movable member and actuated by compression-of air in said bellows, a tension controlled pivoted flap-valve normally closing said outlet orifice, a tripper abutment on said stationary means by which said flap-valve is temporarily opened when moved past the same by the bellows collapsing movement of said movable member, a exible pull-cord between said flap-valve and said stationary means whereby said fla -valve is held opened for a comparatively ong period prior to the completion of the bellows collapsing movement of said movable member, and means on said flap-valve to produce a lateral yielding movement thereof when moved past said tripper abutment by the bellows expanding movement of said movable memher.

3. In a device of the kind described, a bellows having a movable member and a stationary means, a sound emission device having an outlet orifice carried by said movable member and actuated by compression of air in said bellows, a pivoted flap-valve normally closing said orifice and capable of both outward vertical swing and limited lateral play, a resilient tension means for holding said flap-valve in normal initial closed position, a tripper abutment on said stationary means, and a tripping means on said flap-valve adapted to swing open the latter when engaging said tripper abutment in one direction and adapted to produce a lateral yielding movement thereof when engaging said tripper abutment in the opposite direction.

4. In a device of the kind described, a bellows having a movable member and a stationary means, a sound emission device having an outlet orifice carried by said movable member and actuated by compression of air in said bellows, a pivoted flap-valve normally closing said orifice and capable of both outward vertical swing and limited lateral play, a resilient tension means for holding said flap-valve in normal initial closed position, a tripper abutment on said stationary means, and a tripping means on said flap-valve adapted to swing open thelatter when engaging said tripper abutment in one direction and adapted to produce a lateral yielding movement thereof when enging said tripper abutment in the oppomenace site direction, onda flexible pull-cord between said flap-valve and said stationary means whereby the latter is in opened after paming said tripr abutment.

5. In a device of the ind described, a bellows having a movable member, a sound emission device caed by said movable member and'actua b the compression of air in said'oellows, mid sound emission device havi'n i "we flap-valve cc and capable of both outward vertical swing and limited lateral play, a tension means for holding said flap-valve in normal initial closed position, a fixm tripper abutment, said flap-valve havin at its free end a tripping projection provi ed with a transversely obli ue camportion for cooperation with sai tripper abutment, and a flexible connection interconnected between the end of said flapvalve and said tripper abutment.

6. In a device of the kind described, a bellows having a stationary member and a movable member, a guide-rod fixed to said stationary member upon which said movable member rides, a sound emission device having an outlet orifice carried by said movable member and actuated by the compression of air in said bellows, a pivoted flap-valve normally closing said orifice and capable of both outward vertical swing and limited lateral play, a tension means for holding said flap-valve in normal initial closed position, a fixed tripper abutment supported on said guide-rod, said flap-valve having at its free end a trippin projection provided with a transversely o lique cam-portion for cooperation with said tripper abutment, and a flexible connection interconnected between the free end of said flap-valve and said tripper abutment.

7. In a device of the kind described, a base, a cylindrical bellows body attached to said base, a weight member attached to the free end of said bellows body, a guide-rod extending from said base upon which 'said weight member rides, a sound emimion device having an outlet orifice carried by said weight member and arranged to be actuated by the compression of air in said bellows, a tension controlled pivoted flap-valve normally closing said orifice, a tripper abutment on the external and of said guide-rod by means of which said fia valve is temgorarily opened when move past the same y the bellows collapsing movement of said weight member, and a flexible pull cord between said fi-ap-valve and said tripper abutment whereby said flap-valve is again opened after passing said tripper abutment and prior to the completion of the bellows collapsing movement of said weight member.

8. In a device of the k'nd described, a base, a cylindrical bellows body attached to said base, a weight member ached to the Ill) naeaooe free end of said bellows body, a ,ide-rod extending from said base upon w ich said weight member rides, a sound emission device having an outlet orifice carried by said weight member and arranged to be actuated by the compression of air in said bellows, a tension controlled pivoted flap-valve normally closing said orifice, a tripper abutment on the external end of said guide-rod by means of which said do valve is temoraril opened when move past the same y the llows collapsing movement of said weight member; a flexible pull cord between said flap-valve and said tripper abutment whereby said flap-valve is again opened after passing said tripper abutment and prior to the completion of the bellows colapsing movement of said weight member, and cam means on said flap-valve to produce a lateral yielding movement thereof when passing said tripr abutment in the opposite direction.

9. In a device of the kind described, a base, a cylindrical bellows body attached to said base, a wei ht member attached to the free end of sai bellows body, a guide-rod extending from said base upon which said weight member rides, a sound emission device having an outlet orifice carried by said weight member and arranged to be actuated by the compression of air in said bellows, a tension controlled pivoted flap-valve normally closing said orifice, a tripper abutment on the external end of said guide-rod, and a tripping means on said do valve adapted to swing open the latter w en engaging said tripper abutment during an inward movement of said weight member and adapted to produce a lateral yielding movement thereof when engagin said tripper abutment during an outwar movement of said weight member.

10. In a device of the kind described, a base, a cylindrical bellows body attached to said base a weight member attached to and closin the outer end of said bellows body, a gui e-rod extending from said base upon which said weight member rides, a sound emission device carried by said weight memher so as to be actuated by compression of air within said bellows, said sound emission device having anexternal orifice, a ivoted flap-valve normally closing said ori cc and capableof both outward vertical swing and limited lateral play, a resilient tension means for holdin said flap-valve in normal initial closed positioma tripper abutment fixed on the outer end of said uide-rod, and said flap-valve having at its ree end a tripping projection provided with a transversel oblique cam portion for cooperation wit said tripper abutment.

11. In a device of the kind described, a base, a cylindrical bellows body attached to said base, a weight member attached to and closin the outer end of said bellows body, a gui e-rod extending from said base upon which said weight member rides, a sound emission device carried by said weight memher so as to be actuated by compression of air within said bellows, said sound emission device having an external orifice, a noted flap-valve normally closing said ori cc and capable of both outward vertical swing and limited lateral pla a resilient tension means for holding said ap-valve in normal initial closed position, a tripper abutment fixed on the outer end of said guide-rod, said flapvalve having at its free end a trippin jection provlded with a transversely o 11 no cam pprtion for cooperation with said tripper a utment, and a flexible connection interconnected between the free end of said flap-valve and said tripper abutment of a length adapted to pull 0 11 said Ha -valve prior to t e complete ellows co apsing movement of said wei ht member.

In testimony that claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of tember, 1922.

M t TTEO DE CESARE. 

